By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Putting the brakes on dangerous and
distracted driving, Pope Francis criticized using mobile phones when at the
wheel and treating roads like racetracks.
While praising the work and sacrifice of police officers
dealing with transit and highway patrol, he also cautioned them against turning
the just use of force into brutality.
“Wisdom and self-control are needed, especially when
the police officer is viewed with mistrust or seen almost as an enemy, instead
of as a guardian of the common good,” he said.
The pope made his remarks in a speech Nov. 20 to staff
and managers of the central administration of the Italian police in charge of
traffic and highway patrol and of the railways.
Whenever officers must check or constrain someone,
“it’s important to rely on a use of force that never degenerates into
violence,” he said, particularly in places where the police are looked
upon with distrust, which unfortunately is widespread and, in some cases, pits
society against the state.
Mercy is essential, he said; mercy is not weakness nor
does it mean renouncing all
use of force.
“Instead, it means being able to not equate the
culprits with the crime they commit, ending up causing damage and creating a feeling of revenge; it
also means making an effort to understand the needs and motives of the people
that you encounter in your work,” he said.
The pope asked the officers and their supervisors to
“use mercy in the countless situations of weakness and pain that you
confront daily” not just with victims of crime or accidents, but with the
poor and vulnerable, too.
With so many people depending on increased mobility, the
pope said traffic officers have a lot to do, especially when driving and
commuting has become “increasingly complex and unruly.”
Not only do roads and safety measures lack needed
improvements and investments, officers must deal with the “poor sense of
responsibility by many drivers, who often seem not to realize the even serious
consequences of being distracted — for example, with the improper use of cellphones –– or being
reckless.”
He said these behaviors were caused by people being in
too much of a hurry or competitive, which turns “other drivers into hurdles or adversaries to
overtake, transforming roads into ‘Formula One’ racetracks and traffic lights
into the starting line for a grand prize.”
Increased sanctions will not be enough, he said.
Education and a greater awareness of responsibility and a civic duty toward
one’s fellow travelers are needed.
The pope encouraged the officers to carry out their duty
and mission “with honor and a deep sense of duty” in serving others.
While often they are not appreciated enough, the officers
are “on the front lines” in fighting that which harms others, creates
chaos and feeds unlawfulness that hinders progress and happiness, he said.
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